"I'm taking you into the forbidden ground," Eya said lightly as she ran ahead through the choking forest. Her voice carried over the rustling bamboo like a teasing song. "If any of you are afraid, you can still turn back."
She smiled toward Hadrian.
But the corner of her eye lingered on Kael.
Hadrian's expression hardened. He kept pace beside her with the smooth confidence of a noble-born predator.
"As far as I know," he said coldly, "anyone who enters that place without permission is executed by the rulers of the Great Verdant Vale. So tell me—what exactly are you planning to do there?"
Eya's lips curved.
"That," she said softly, "I can't tell you."
She paused just long enough to let annoyance build in him before adding—
"But the Warding-Vase Bamboo you want? The only place left to get it is there."
Hadrian visibly faltered.
It took him several breaths before realization struck.
"You're planning to steal it?"
Eya gave a disdainful snort.
"Why would I need to steal what should already be mine?"
Hadrian narrowed his eyes.
"Even if the Vale's patrols somehow miss us, what then? There are four of us. Warding-Vase Bamboo is harder than forged steel. How many stalks do you think we can cut down ourselves?"
Kael hated admitting it, but Hadrian was right.
He had already done the math.
To make enough bolts for nearly ten Earthrend Arbalests, they would need at least two or three hundred stalks.
Without the specialized Mantis Craftsmen constructs used to harvest bamboo, four people would spend weeks hacking at the grove and still leave empty-handed.
It was impossible.
Unless Eya truly had a plan.
She glanced back over her shoulder.
"That part isn't your concern. I gave my word."
Her smile turned dangerously confident.
"If we reach the grove, I guarantee you'll leave with all the bamboo you need."
Hadrian looked toward Selene.
Selene, however, quietly tugged on Kael's sleeve.
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"This is too dangerous. We should leave."
Kael hesitated.
"If we leave now... there's no chance of getting the bamboo."
He turned toward Eya.
She was looking at him.
Not playfully.
Not seductively.
There was something deeper in her eyes.
Need.
Urgency.
Hope.
Kael's chest tightened.
She needs me.
That thought hit him harder than reason ever could.
If that's true... how could the Little Saint-Lord back down now?
Selene glanced nervously toward the corpse of the Fire Spider trapped in Hadrian's net.
Her face paled.
"There are more things like that in here... and I already lost my Jade-Wave Blade..."
Kael immediately moved closer.
"Then stay beside me."
His voice turned firm.
"From this moment on, I'm not leaving your side."
The fear in her eyes softened instantly.
She lowered her gaze.
"...Fine."
Her voice was barely audible.
"If you want that bamboo so badly... then I'll go with you."
Warmth exploded through Kael's chest.
He grinned like an idiot.
"Alright. Let's move. Everyone stay alert."
Eya's face brightened.
She spun and sprinted deeper into the forest.
Hadrian lingered near Selene.
"Can you handle this?"
His voice was unexpectedly gentle.
Selene looked at him, genuinely grateful.
"With all of you here... I'm not afraid."
She hesitated.
Then lowered her voice.
"And... thank you. For saving me earlier."
Hadrian smiled.
It was polished.
Handsome.
Calculated.
"No need to be so formal."
With a casual flick of his wrist, he stored the dead spider inside a storage pouch at his waist.
Every movement radiated practiced elegance.
Kael watched from behind.
His face turned green.
Then blue.
Then murderous.
He remembered Hadrian holding Selene in his arms earlier.
His teeth ground so hard his jaw hurt.
If that bastard hadn't actually saved her life—
Kael would have already attacked him.
Hadrian suddenly accelerated and caught up to Eya.
He ran beside her.
"I need to warn you."
Eya laughed.
"Oh? About what, Young Warden?"
Hadrian raised the golden net in his hand.
Its threads gleamed like molten sunlight.
Ancient runes drifted through the strands like trapped ghosts.
"Do you know what this is?"
Eya glanced at it.
"The famous demon-snaring net?"
Hadrian smirked.
"Half right."
His voice lowered.
"This is the king of all such artifacts."
"The Adamant Ward-Net."
"It carries restrictions meant to purify demons, destroy fiends, refine ghosts, and bind monsters."
He looked at her with naked hostility.
"It was built specifically to kill things like you."
Eya stuck out her tongue.
"That sounds terrifying."
Hadrian's expression darkened.
"Don't test me."
His eyes sharpened.
"I know you're not human."
"At Dawnbreaker Hold, hunting monsters is routine."
Eya made a cute face.
"I'm so frightened."
Hadrian leaned closer.
His smile became ugly.
"If you fall into this net... you'll beg for death before it grants it."
Eya looked sideways at him.
Her smile became strangely alluring.
Dangerously beautiful.
"You should stop trying to scare me."
Her voice turned velvet-soft.
"If you frighten me too much... you may regret it."
For the briefest moment—
Hadrian felt cold.
A chill ran across his spine.
It vanished so quickly he almost convinced himself it never happened.
He sneered.
"I'd love to see you try."
Eya merely laughed and continued forward.
Behind them—
Kael's face had gone completely black.
Selene blinked.
"What's wrong with you?"
Kael stared murderously at Hadrian's back.
His lips barely moved.
"That bastard."
Selene frowned.
"What?"
Kael finally exploded.
"That bastard is a shameless snake!"
Selene blinked again.
Then burst into laughter.
"Oh?"
She leaned closer.
"Why do I smell jealousy?"
Kael's face instantly turned red.
Selene's smile widened.
There was smugness in it.
And joy.
And something warm enough to make her heart flutter.
"I'm serious!" Kael hissed. "That man is filth!"
She bit her lip to stop laughing.
"Really?"
"He was touching you earlier!"
Selene froze.
"What?"
"He was using that rescue as an excuse to take advantage of you!"
Selene's cheeks turned scarlet.
"You idiot!"
"He held you!"
"He was saving my life!"
Kael looked deeply offended.
"He enjoyed it!"
Selene stared at him in disbelief.
Then her face hardened.
"You are impossible."
She turned away.
"I'm not speaking to you."
"Fine!"
Kael snapped back instantly.
Then regretted it immediately.
They stormed forward in silence.
Both stiff-necked.
Both furious.
Neither willing to surrender first.
Minutes passed.
The silence became unbearable.
Kael was already preparing an apology in his head when Selene quietly drifted closer.
Until their shoulders nearly touched.
He immediately lifted his chin and pretended not to notice.
Selene looked at him from the corner of her eye.
Her expression was half shy.
Half annoyed.
Still, she said nothing.
Kael's anger melted.
"What?"
Selene's voice became tiny.
"So what if someone else wants me?"
Kael blinked.
She stared at the ground.
"I already..."
Her face turned crimson.
"I already did... that with you."
Her voice nearly vanished.
"So why are you still insecure?"
Kael froze.
Then bliss slammed into him like divine wine.
Every inch of him felt weightless.
His soul nearly left his body.
He looked drunk.
Selene glared.
"Are you done?"
Kael grinned stupidly.
He practically floated as he walked.
"Now I have a question," Selene said.
"What?"
She gave him a dangerous sideways glance.
"How exactly did you meet that demon girl?"
Kael nearly choked.
"It happened in the forest."
He quickly explained how he had returned to the giant nest, found Selene sleeping, then heard strange sounds from above and encountered Eya.
He conveniently left out the part about Eya's master being the feared Fell Sage.
Selene listened quietly.
Then frowned.
"There's something wrong with her."
Kael shrugged.
"Maybe."
"But whether she's a spirit, a demon, or something stranger... I don't think she's evil."
Selene snorted.
"Of course."
"You can instantly identify Hadrian as evil."
"But the suspicious demon girl is obviously trustworthy."
Kael wisely chose silence.
Then Selene smiled again.
A very dangerous smile.
"So…"
Kael stiffened.
"So what?"
"You carried her all the way here on your back?"
Kael coughed.
"She injured her foot!"
"And I needed to hurry back to find you!"
Selene's smile sharpened.
"Then why is she suddenly running like nothing ever happened?"
Kael opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
Then opened it again.
Nothing came out.
Selene gave a cold laugh.
"That's what I thought."
Then she smiled sweetly.
"Go on, hero."
"Tell me more about your brave rescue."
Kael had finally learned his lesson.
He responded with vague noises and changed the subject.
The terrain grew steeper.
The bamboo forests thickened.
The air became heavy with webbing.
Several more Fire Spiders lunged from the darkness.
Their speed forced the group to slow dramatically.
Kael stayed close to Selene.
Every time a spider attacked—
the Eight-Claw Flamescourge cracked through the air like a dragon's roar.
Fire exploded.
Burning spider corpses dropped screaming from the trees.
Kael casually collected each corpse and shoved them into his Wardian Satchel.
Selene stared at him in horror.
"Why are you collecting those disgusting things?"
Kael shrugged.
"They're rare."
"There's probably useful crafting material inside."
He grinned.
"And Hadrian's collecting them too."
Indeed—
Hadrian's Adamant Ward-Net was terrifying.
Whenever he cast it, another spider became trapped.
No matter how violently the creatures thrashed—
they always died screaming.
Kael yanked another charred spider from the end of his whip.
He picked it up with his bare hand and stuffed it into his satchel.
He muttered bitterly—
"His weapon may look ugly... but it's useful."
Selene physically shuddered.
"Did you really have to touch it?"
Kael dusted off his hands.
"What else was I supposed to do?"
He laughed.
"If it bothers you, don't look. I'll wash up later."
Selene turned away in disgust.
Then froze.
Something moved above them.
Fast.
Her head snapped upward.
And she screamed.
Kael reacted instantly.
He looked up—
A gigantic spider was descending directly over his head.
Its fangs were the size of daggers.
Its body was nearly twice the size of the earlier Fire Spiders.
Black-and-yellow patterns covered its shell.
Kael's wrist snapped.
The Eight-Claw Flamescourge shot upward like a flaming serpent.
CRACK—
The whip struck the monster.
Fire erupted—
but the creature didn't ignite.
It shrieked.
Twisted violently in midair.
Then came crashing toward him.
Its eight legs slashed downward like hooked blades.
Selene forced down her terror.
She thrust both sleeves forward.
The Water-Spirit Art erupted.
A surge of water Vitae slammed into the spider and slowed it for a single precious heartbeat.
That was enough.
Kael moved.
The Flamescourge became a storm of fire.
One strike.
Two.
Three.
Four—
Explosions of sparks erupted as he shattered leg after leg.
The monster's limbs were blasted apart.
Its defenses collapsed.
Kael roared and lashed its swollen abdomen.
The impact sent the spider crashing into the ground.
It writhed violently.
Its hooked limbs tore trenches into the earth.
Kael poured more Vitae into the whip.
The next barrage landed like thunder.
Again.
Again.
Again.
By the time Hadrian and Eya arrived—
the monster was already dying.
Its body twitched.
Then stilled.
Eya clapped enthusiastically.
"Amazing, Kael!"
Her face lit up with delight.
"You were incredible!"
A strange violet ward-script rested between her fingers.
Kael finally got a proper look at the corpse.
His grin faded.
This thing was completely different from the Fire Spiders.
Larger.
Heavier.
Far more durable.
Its shell looked like layered iron.
He frowned.
"What the hell is this one?"
He nudged the corpse with his boot.
"That thing took far too much punishment to die."
Eya smiled as if she were discussing flowers instead of monsters.
"That," she said, nudging the corpse with the toe of her bare foot, "is a tiger spider. Fast. vicious. Hard shell. Brutal strength. They're the deadliest breed on Thousand-Web Ridge."
Her smile widened.
"They were also the original design model for the Dread-Feet constructs... and the Tiger-Spider War Chariots built in the Great Verdant Vale."
Hadrian visibly stiffened.
"The war chariots were made here?" he asked sharply.
Eya tilted her head in fake innocence.
"You claim Dawnbreaker Hold knows this valley so well. Strange thing not to know."
Hadrian stared at her.
Cold-eyed.
Thinking.
Kael, meanwhile, had entirely different priorities.
He immediately crouched beside the dead spider, grinning like a grave robber who had just found a chest of gold.
"So this thing's valuable?"
Without waiting for an answer, he shoved the massive corpse into his Wardian Satchel.
Then he looked deeper into the forest with greedy excitement.
"In that case... I should collect a few more."
Eya laughed.
"Oh, don't worry. There are plenty ahead."
That should have sounded reassuring.
It absolutely did not.
---
They continued deeper into Thousand-Web Ridge.
And Eya, for once, wasn't exaggerating.
The spiders came constantly.
Fire Spiders dropped from above in shrieking bursts of heat.
Tiger spiders erupted from brush and rotten logs like armored nightmares.
Every hundred steps became a battle.
Then every fifty.
Then every twenty.
Progress slowed to a crawl.
Kael stayed close to Eya now.
He had already seen enough to know this forest could kill someone careless in seconds.
"Don't walk ahead alone," he muttered.
"If something jumps you, I'll have to waste time rescuing you."
Eya slowed immediately.
"Mm."
Her eyes curved with obvious delight.
She looked absurdly happy just because he was worried about her.
Kael pretended not to notice.
Selene absolutely noticed.
And hated it.
---
Hadrian fought like a man trying to impress a woman.
Which was exactly what he was doing.
The Adamant Ward-Net flashed through the forest again and again.
Golden light exploded across the canopy.
Every throw caught something.
Spiders hidden in bamboo.
Spiders buried in brush.
Spiders clinging upside down beneath rotten trunks.
Hadrian hunted them all.
Even when they weren't attacking.
He moved farther and farther from the group, putting on a grand performance for Selene.
And unfortunately—
it worked.
Selene watched him capture another massive tiger spider in the glowing net and gasped.
"That one might be a spider king!"
Her eyes shone.
"That was amazing!"
Hadrian nearly floated off the ground from pride.
He laughed loudly.
His attacks grew even more aggressive.
Birds fled shrieking from the forest.
Beasts scattered.
Entire sections of woodland shook.
Eya's smile vanished.
"What are you doing?" she shouted.
"This area is dangerous! You'll draw an entire swarm!"
Hadrian smirked and raised his golden net.
"Relax."
He spun the artifact dramatically.
"This weapon was forged specifically to hunt demonic creatures in large numbers. I've barely begun to show its true power."
He hurled the net into another patch of bamboo.
It swept through empty air—
and missed something white.
A flash.
Fast as lightning.
A small white figure shot through the air and landed on a stalk of Warding-Vase Bamboo.
Everyone stopped.
Even Hadrian.
The creature was tiny.
No bigger than a man's palm.
It was unlike any spider they had seen.
Its body gleamed like carved white jade.
Its shell was translucent.
Its abdomen was nearly transparent, and inside it—
liquid sloshed gently.
Selene stared.
"What is that?"
Hadrian instantly threw another net.
The little spider became a streak of white light and leapt to another bamboo stalk.
Effortless.
Mocking.
Never fleeing far.
Kael grinned.
"Oh, I like this one."
He lifted the Eight-Claw Flamescourge—
but suddenly felt someone tug his sleeve.
He turned.
Eya was shaking her head.
Very slightly.
Her voice dropped.
"Don't provoke it."
Kael frowned.
"Why?"
"It's dangerous."
That surprised him more than the spider.
Dangerous?
That tiny thing?
Meanwhile Hadrian stared at it with growing uncertainty.
The little creature remained perfectly still.
It shimmered against the green bamboo like a piece of sacred artwork.
Selene whispered,
"Why'd you stop trying to catch it? It's beautiful."
Hadrian frowned.
"It may be a brain-feeder spider."
Selene recoiled.
"A what?"
"It drains brain marrow from a distance."
Her face turned white.
"Then leave it alone. Let's go."
Eya burst into laughter.
"Oh, stop pretending you know everything."
She pointed at the spider.
"A brain-feeder has a swollen head. This is clearly a Wine Spider."
Kael blinked.
"A what?"
Eya folded her hands behind her back and began walking circles around the bamboo.
"An extremely rare spider species. Some say they're born from mixed bloodlines between different spider breeds."
She looked up at the pale creature.
"They feed on flower nectar, tree sap, and moonlit dew."
"Instead of meat?"
Kael asked.
She nodded.
"They ferment what they consume inside their abdomen."
Her lips curled.
"That's why people call them Wine Spiders."
Kael barked a laugh.
"A spider that doesn't eat meat?"
He shook his head.
"That's like finding a monk in a brothel."
Selene glared at him.
"That comparison is disgusting."
She looked back at the spider.
"It's more like a bee."
Eya glanced at Hadrian.
And smiled in a way Kael had learned to fear.
"Oh, Wine Spiders are still dangerous."
Hadrian's ears perked up instantly.
"How?"
"If you use one as bait..." Eya said softly, "combined with the proper ward-scripts..."
She spread her fingers.
"You can lure nearly any monster."
Her voice dropped lower.
"No matter how clever. No matter how far away."
Kael's expression shifted.
Hadrian's eyes practically ignited.
Eya continued casually.
"Oh—and because they feed on floral nectar... grinding them into medicine supposedly preserves beauty."
Selene's eyes lit up immediately.
Kael stared at her.
"You cannot be serious."
She ignored him completely.
Eya turned and began walking away.
"Come on. Leave the cute little thing alone."
Hadrian did not move.
Greed had already sunk its claws into him.
"Wait."
He raised the Adamant Ward-Net.
"If this creature is truly that rare... we can't waste the opportunity."
Eya groaned dramatically.
"You really are awful."
Hadrian ignored her.
"Capturing dangerous creatures is the sacred duty of Dawnbreaker Hold."
He crept forward.
"And our archives are missing this specimen."
The net exploded outward.
Missed again.
The Wine Spider bolted deeper into the forest.
Hadrian snarled.
"Oh no you don't."
And sprinted after it.
---
"Wonderful," Kael muttered.
And ran after him.
Because apparently letting Hadrian die too early would be inconvenient.
Selene followed.
Eya skipped behind them.
Looking far too entertained.
The terrain became worse.
Steep rises.
Hidden drops.
Rotting timber.
Thick weeds.
Bamboo roots twisted like skeletal fingers.
Kael stayed beside Selene, cutting webs apart and smashing hidden spiders before they could reach either woman.
Hadrian kept chasing deeper.
Throwing his net.
Missing.
Again.
Again.
Again.
His frustration turned into fury.
"You little bastard!"
He ran faster.
"I refuse to lose to a bug!"
Selene looked increasingly nervous.
His figure vanished and reappeared between trees.
The surrounding forest became darker.
The webs thicker.
The silence heavier.
"I don't like this," Selene whispered.
"There are too many spiders here."
Kael forced a grin.
"You've got me."
Her expression softened despite her fear.
Then she looked ahead.
"I'm more worried about him."
Kael nearly laughed in disbelief.
Of course she was.
Eya suddenly giggled.
"She's right not to follow too closely."
Kael looked at her.
"What does that mean?"
Eya's grin sharpened.
"He's about to have a very bad day."
Selene turned pale.
"What?"
A scream tore through the forest.
Hadrian.
Selene immediately sprinted toward the sound.
Kael cursed and chased after her.
Eya followed leisurely.
"Oh, your senior soror really is loyal."
Kael's face darkened.
"That loyalty is being wasted on trash."
---
They reached the source of the scream.
Hadrian was nowhere to be seen.
Selene cupped her hands around her mouth.
"Hadrian?!"
A muffled scream answered.
"I'm down here!"
They searched wildly.
Then Eya pointed.
"There."
Ahead—
a dark pit hidden beneath brush.
Selene ran toward it.
And instantly vanished.
The ground collapsed beneath her.
She screamed.
Kael moved on instinct.
The Eight-Claw Flamescourge shot forward.
Wrapped around her waist.
He yanked hard.
Selene flew upward—
straight into his arms.
She clung to his neck violently.
Her entire body shook.
Her face had gone deathly white.
Kael held her tightly.
"It's alright."
His voice softened.
"You're safe."
She trembled against him.
Eya crouched near the edge.
Her playful expression vanished.
"The ground here is hollow."
Below them Hadrian screamed again.
"I can't move! Hurry!"
Kael gently released Selene.
Then stepped forward.
He slammed the Flamescourge into the ground.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Again.
The earth exploded apart.
Rotting wood shattered.
Grass tore free.
Dust erupted skyward.
Then the false ground peeled away entirely—
revealing the truth beneath.
All four of them froze.
A colossal pit stretched below.
Massive bamboo stalks grew along its inner walls.
And between them—
a spider web.
Not large.
Not huge.
Monstrous.
A sprawling white nightmare stretching across the entire pit.
Hadrian was stuck in the middle of it like trapped prey.
His limbs.
His torso.
Even his face.
Everything was glued to the web.
He couldn't move.
Couldn't escape.
Kael stared.
"What in the hell..."
Selene nearly collapsed.
"Oh gods..."
Even Kael felt cold sweat slide down his back.
Eya folded her arms.
"Looks like the nest of a spider king."
Hadrian screamed.
"GET ME OUT!"
Eya crouched at the edge and smiled sweetly down at him.
"You said your precious net could capture any monster."
She tilted her head.
"How unfortunate."
Hadrian looked ready to explode.
"This isn't the time for jokes!"
Kael crossed his arms.
"If you want help, try asking like someone who isn't a spoiled bastard."
Hadrian shook with rage.
Then—
a foul wind erupted from the darkness below.
The smell hit them first.
Rot.
Blood.
Digestive fluids.
Death.
The web began to tremble.
Something massive moved in the darkness.
Slowly.
Slowly.
Then it emerged.
Selene screamed.
Kael's pupils narrowed.
It was a tiger spider.
But impossibly large.
The thing looked like a moving fortress of flesh and iron.
Its body was the size of a house.
Its legs resembled siege weapons.
Its mandibles clicked like executioner blades.
Hadrian completely broke.
"HELP ME!"
"PLEASE!"
"GET ME OUT!"
Selene shook violently.
"What do we do?!"
Kael narrowed his eyes.
Then suddenly frowned.
"Wait."
He pointed upward.
"Look at its head."
Everyone stared.
And finally saw it.
Perched atop the gigantic spider's skull—
was the tiny white Wine Spider.
Still gleaming.
Still beautiful.
Still calm.
Hadrian's eyes bulged with absolute horror.
"That thing—!"
His voice cracked into a scream.
"It lured me here?!"